White House Homebrew (With Video)

And at last, we have the recipe. On Wednesday, I asked whether it would be beer-geekorific or not, and I think we must conclude "not." (They're extract brews and pretty pedestrian.) There are actually two versions, a wheat and a porter, and both look a great deal like the first two recipes of any homebrewery. But actually, before I reveal them, you should watch the following video, which also has the awe and excitement that mark the first time brewing a beer. The American Homebrewers Association should immediately begin using it in promotions:

And now to the main event, the recipes. Homebrewers may comment about where they are impressed or appalled, and what advice they might give to the White House about stepping it up to the next level.

White House Honey Porter

Ingredients

2 (3.3 lb) cans light unhopped malt extract

3/4 lb Munich Malt (cracked)

1 lb crystal 20 malt (cracked)

6 oz black malt (cracked)

3 oz chocolate malt (cracked)

1 lb White House Honey

10 HBUs bittering hops

1/2 oz Hallertaur Aroma hops

1 pkg Nottingham dry yeast

3/4 cup corn sugar for bottling

Directions

In a 6 qt pot, add grains to 2.25 qts of 168˚ water. Mix well to bring
temp down to 155˚. Steep on stovetop at 155˚ for 45 minutes. Meanwhile,
bring 2 gallons of water to 165˚ in a 12 qt pot. Place strainer over,
then pour and spoon all the grains and liquid in. Rinse with 2 gallons
of 165˚ water. Let liquid drain through. Discard the grains and bring
the liquid to a boil. Set aside.

Add the 2 cans of malt extract and honey into the pot. Stir well.

Boil for an hour. Add half of the bittering hops at the 15 minute
mark, the other half at 30 minute mark, then the aroma hops at the 60
minute mark.

Set aside and let stand for 15 minutes.

Place 2 gallons of chilled water into the primary fermenter and add
the hot wort into it. Top with more water to total 5 gallons if
necessary. Place into an ice bath to cool down to 70-80˚.

Activate dry yeast in 1 cup of sterilized water at 75-90˚ for fifteen
minutes. Pitch yeast into the fermenter. Fill airlock halfway with
water. Ferment at room temp (64-68˚) for 3-4 days.

Siphon over to a secondary glass fermenter for another 4-7 days.

To bottle, make a priming syrup on the stove with 1 cup sterile water
and 3/4 cup priming sugar, bring to a boil for five minutes. Pour the
mixture into an empty bottling bucket. Siphon the beer from the
fermenter over it. Distribute priming sugar evenly. Siphon into bottles
and cap. Let sit for 1-2 weeks at 75˚.

White House Honey Ale

Ingredients

2 (3.3 lb) cans light malt extract

1 lb light dried malt extract

12 oz crushed amber crystal malt

8 oz Bisquit Malt

1 lb White House Honey

1 1/2 oz Kent Goldings Hop Pellets

1 1/2 oz Fuggles Hop pellets

2 tsp gypsum

1 pkg Windsor dry ale yeast

3/4 cup corn sugar for priming

Directions

In an 12 qt pot, steep the grains in a hop bag in 1 1/2 gallons of
sterile water at 155 degrees for half an hour. Remove the grains.

Add the 2 cans of the malt extract and the dried extract and bring to a boil.

For the first flavoring, add the 1 1/2 oz Kent Goldings and 2 tsp of gypsum. Boil for 45 minutes.

For the second flavoring, add the 1/2 oz Fuggles hop pellets at the last minute of the boil.

Add the honey and boil for 5 more minutes.

Add 2 gallons chilled sterile water into the primary fermenter and add
the hot wort into it. Top with more water to total 5 gallons. There is
no need to strain.

Pitch yeast when wort temperature is between 70-80˚. Fill airlock halfway with water.

Ferment at 68-72˚ for about seven days.

Rack to a secondary fermenter after five days and ferment for 14 more days.

To bottle, dissolve the corn sugar into 2 pints of boiling water for
15 minutes. Pour the mixture into an empty bottling bucket. Siphon the
beer from the fermenter over it. Distribute priming sugar evenly. Siphon
into bottles and cap. Let sit for 2 to 3 weeks at 75˚.